3 Medicinal Mushrooms An Immunologist Wants You To Prioritize In The New Year

We may be entering a new year, but allergist and immunologist Heather Moday, M.D., urges us to prioritize one of the oldest healing modalities out there: medicinal mushrooms. After all, these nutritional powerhouses have been used in ancient medicine for thousands of years for liver support, heart health, enhanced energy, immune strength, and more.

Consider this your sign to devour more of these fabulous fungi in the new year. Catch Moday's favorite medicinal mushrooms below. 

"Now, reishi is something you can only take in supplement form because it's a woody, inedible mushroom," says Moday. (That's because of the triterpenes, which are very bitter-tasting.) However, you can typically find the adaptogen in capsule, powder, and tincture form—like this immune-supporting hot chocolate recipe, which features reishi powder. 

But the best part, says Moday, is the savory, umami flavor: "It's delicious, and it makes a great taco," she says. Because it grows in clusters, it has a textural appeal that can't be beat. (It's the star ingredient in many vegan fried "chicken" recipes since it clings to batter quite well, making it easier to create those gloriously crunchy bits.)

"Lion's mane mushroom is slightly harder to find, but they're really delicious," Moday adds. You can also find it in supplement form, typically in a powder to add to yummy drink recipes.  

This list does not even begin to scratch the surface when it comes to medicinal mushrooms—but if Moday had to pick a top three, she emphasizes these players above. "You can't really go wrong with eating those," she adds.